The idea of retaining the Capehart houses is bound to bring on the sound of loud screams of outrage from Magnolians and Discovery Park advocates, but I've often thought this myself, as a Magnolian, as a Discovery Park buff and as a plain old citizen in Seattle, that this is a good idea. I have to admit that, since American Eagle has taken over the Navy's administration of this tract, the housing stock, the yards and the surrounding grounds have never looked better. So the complaint can't be that this housing tract will be a blight on the park neighborhood.
In this day of affordable-housing shortages, it seems a shame to lose this group of perfectly usable housing units. And furthermore, truth be told, housing is not going to be expunged from Discovery Park with the demolition of this tract. The officers' homes that surround it are all still going to be there, as private homes for upper-income families - which explicitly leads to one more of these situations where we are tacitly send-ing the message about "who" the more desirable resident in Seattle is.
This type of thinking needs to end. The city, and we the citizens in particular, need to stop this systemic eradication of housing units that lower-middle and even low-income individuals and families need. Retaining Capehart as an integral, much needed element in Seattle's housing stock would go a long way toward sustaining the social and economic diversity of Seattle.
I say hooray that someone's finally broaching this subject, and here's hoping it results in the retention of this valuable housing resource!
Elizabeth Campbell
Magnolia
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